World No. 2 Iga Swiatek was banned from tennis for a month after testing positive for a banned substance.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, tested trimetazidine (TMZ), which improves blood flow, in an out-of-competition sample before the Cincinnati Open in August. But she was able to prove to anti-doping authorities that she was contaminated by a supplement intended to combat jet lag, thus ensuring a minimal sanction.
The 23-year-old Polish star was informed of the positive result by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on September 12 and was provisionally suspended. She missed the Korea Open, China Open and Wuhan Open due to “personal reasons”, losing her world number 1 spot to Aryna Sabalenka.
On October 4, the ITIA recommended lifting Swiatek’s provisional ban based on the findings of an investigation, allowing her to compete at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia and for Poland in the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga.
On Thursday, the ITIA handed down a one-month ban, finding that she had “no significant fault or negligence” and had not intentionally taken trimetazidine.
Having already served 22 days of provisional suspension, Swiatek is banned from tennis for a further eight days – during which time she is not expected to compete – and will be free to play at the Australian Open in January. She was also stripped of ranking points and prize money earned at the Cincinnati Open, where she reached the semifinals.
As part of her defense, Swiatek submitted hair samples along with all of her regular supplements to two labs for testing, where it was discovered that a melatonin supplement to manage jet lag was the source of the TMZ traces . An independent laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and commissioned by the ITIA further confirmed the results.
In a video statement, Swiatek said: “I was shocked and this whole situation made me very anxious. At first I didn’t understand how this was possible and where it came from.
“(Trimetazidine is) a substance I’ve never heard of before. I don’t think I even knew it existed. I never met him, nor the people around me, so I had a strong feeling of injustice. Either the sample was contaminated or a supplement or medication I was taking was contaminated.
“Tests showed that melatonin, which I have been using for a long time… the batch that I had with me and that I had used before the Cincinnati tournament had been contaminated during manufacturing. Melatonin is necessary for me because all my travels, jet lag and work-related stress mean that sometimes – without it – I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep.
Swiatek parted ways with her coach of three years, Tomasz Wiktorowski, in October.
She added: “This experience, the most difficult of my life so far, has taught me a lot. All of this will definitely stay with me for the rest of my life, it took a lot of strength for me to return to training after this situation almost broke my heart. So there were a lot of tears and a lot of sleepless nights. »
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said in a statement: “The WTA fully supports Iga during this difficult time. Iga has always demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and respecting the principles of clean sport, and this unfortunate incident highlights the challenges athletes face in the use of medications and supplements.
The tennis world is set to be rocked by another high-profile case involving a player at the sport’s pinnacle.
The ITIA announcement, which was kept secret until this week, bears striking similarities to that of Jannik Sinnerthe Italian world number 1 in men’s tennis who twice tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol in March.
Sinner’s case remained secret until August, when the ITIA announced he would face no consequences after his legal team argued before an independent tribunal that he had been contaminated by his physiotherapist during a massage. WADA has appeals against the decision.
Keeping Swiatek’s case confidential, the ITIA said: “As the player appealed the provisional suspension within 10 days of the notice and this appeal was successful, in accordance with the TADP rules (Tennis Anti-Doping Program), it has therefore not been publicly disclosed. .”
